THE RECEIPE
Starch comes in many forms in the world of food. It is also a main source of energy to our bodies 383 MILLION dishes of Fish and Chips are consumned in Britian every year. With about 10500 Chippies all around the country.
36476
Dishes of Fish and Chips are made in each of these Chippies. Each portion generally contains about 1 to 2 potatos, so that means 54714 potatos are cooked. If an average weight of potato is about 185g and conrtains 40.7g of starch. (22% of the potato’s totally mass) However, only 70% of starch will be eatten and the remaining 30% will be dissolved in water in order to create crispy chips and at last thrown away. Simply calcuate how much (energy) has lost: 668000g.
starch
Yet, these energy still exsists in this world, by dehydrating the starchy water, allows us to obtain these starch and becomes what we called, Potato starch powder. These powder can be made into delicious treats, like: gravy and desserts... but also something rather familiar, which is
‘STARCHTIC’
STARCHTIC st-ar-ch-tic noun It means plastic that are made from mainly starch, a kind of biodegradable product.
STUFF THAT WILL NEED:
YOU
1. Starch 2. Vinegar 3. Glycine 4. Water 5. Any other kind of material that you like to add... 6. Pot 7. Teaspoon and tablespoon 8. Clean film 9. Chopstick/fork/spoon 10. Pastry roller
Why Scarborough? Scarborough is famous for Fish and Chips and its seasonal tourism economy. The project aims to create an oppertunity for the public and architects to create spaces that re-think and reflect this economy. At the same time, this is a community project the encourages the public to explore this material, to set up a recipe.
The programs is to construct dome strcutures along the coast, allow users to clad starchtic on the surface and create a shelter for activities on beach. Through summer to winter, the cladding will decay in time and cladded on again in summer.
THE MADELINE PROJECT (Casein Plastic) Milk is first used to produce plastic, even before the discovery of petrolium. The product is a slimy and cheesey material that smell exactly like cheese. By adding vinegar, the ‘Casein’ within milk is seperated from the water contain, forms the plastic we need.
Recipe: 1. 500ml Full fat milk 2. 4 teaspoon of vinegar 3. A pot 4. A stove 5. teaspoon 6. Sigft 7. Kitchen towel/ paper
The Madaline Project An exploration on the physical properties of each kind of starchtic product. These plastics are left in a Madaline mold to dry. Casein Plastic is one of the softest plastics compare to others from starch. It can easily be fitted into a mould, but take long time to dry.
Formation of Casein Plastic When the two substances were combined, the reaction rate is low. Once they are heated, providing the energy for chemical reaction, lums of ‘Cheese’ will form. Once the plastic is totally seperated from the water, it is done. The next step will be drying the results with a towel.
Bricks of Starchtic (Left) and Casein Plastic (Right) These bricks works similiar to the Madalines, testing ou the properties of these plastics and the possiblity of creating constrcution material. Although, starchtic drys in only 3 days, the volume is unexspectedly reduced.
Failure of Casein plastic Casein plastic is diffcult to dry and can possibily fail becasue of the excessive moisture accumulate within the mould. These mold are created diringt the process of cure.
Tapioca Starchtic (baked) This recipe is simliar to frying chips, the product is a strong, yet less dense than other starchtic. When baking the mixture, air bubbles will be created and naturally become a good insulator.
Recipe: Ratio: 2: 2: 0,5
1. 2 tablespoon of tapioca starch 2. 2 tablespoon of water 3. 1 teaspoon of oil 4. A baking tray 5. Oven 6. Mould
Tapioca starch panel Straw is added to the structure to act as an agent to prevent the plastic crumbling, these fibre increases its tensile strength.
Tapioca starch panel (with holes) This mateiral can be shaped as if baking cakes.
Potato Starchtic Potato starchtic is among all experiments, the most verstile material, differnt form and properties can be achieved. This material results in a strong smell because of the use of vinegar. Potato starch can be found easily around. from Fish and Chips, mashes at home, starch can be extracted by soaking potato in water and further collect starch powder after dehydration. Potato plastic is also the main focus of this project
Recipe: Ratio: 1: 0.5: 0.5: 4
1. 1 tablespoon of potato starch 2. 1 teaspoon of vinegar 3. 1 teaspoon of Glycine 4. 4 tablespoon of water 5. A pot 6. A stove 7. Sift 8. Clean film 9. Pastry roller 10. Pastry bags
Cooking potato starch plastic It is important to mix all substances before cooking. Lums will be produced during heating and you need to stir the mixture, preventing it from burning. The final product should be a slimy and jellish material that can be shaped and sqeezed.
Pine Tree or Honey? These potato starchtic are added with extra pine oil extract and yellow food addictive to give the plastic a smell of fresh pine. This is inspired by the pine oil that usually dries in pine timber.
The Madaline Project (Left) Rather than Casein, this Madaline is made from potato plastic. Objects made by potato starch (Right) Varies of experiments were made during this Primer stage, different substances were added.
Normal potato starchtic (Left)
Potato starchtic with vanilla extract and paprika (Middle) Fried Potato Starchtic (Right)
malted Vinegar potato Starchtic (Back)
CONTINUE... WITH P This time, we roll...
POTATO STARCHTIC
Rolling potato starchtic To embrace the elastic and durable of the material, the starchtic is made into surfaces. For cladding, or facade?
Non-stick is essential! The stickiness of the material is one of the best and worst properties. It sticks to whatever surfaces it is layed on, but at the same time, it is diffcult to work on. It is prefered to use smooth surface or use extra starch powder on hands. The procedures are similar to pastry making, roll it out and add the material you want. Then fold it back to size and again roll it out. Clean film is used to prevent the material from sticking to the roller.+
Fibre + Starchic = Perfect When starchtic dries, as 50 percents of the mass consists of water, the product cracks and break easily, esspecially in thin pieces. Ideally, fibre should be added to hold the material together. This fibre is far bether than the ones shown before, these are Flex Fibre.
Claddings for the Dome These experiemts are finally used on the dome of the beach hut of Scarborough. Variation in colour is achieved by adding colour addictives As seen, Patterns can be made by positioning different colour before rolling it out.
Primer exhibition The interaction of human and the material is an interesting aspect to be explored in later stages of the design. How can we make use of this weird material in our life and architecture?
Starchtic dome Ligth can penetrate the skin and creates a series of colourful stained glass like feature.